Conical stirrer



Oct.. 20, 1931. K. E. Pl-:ILER' i 1,828,719

' CONICAL STIRRER Filed July 19, 1929 l Inv@ nor; KQPZEP ler wzl'fzess:

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 narrany s'm'rss PATENT OFFICE KAR-L E. PEILER, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNEUDICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 'HARTFORD- EMPIRE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CONICAL STIRRER Original application filed April 26, 1928, Serial No.272,956.

1929. Serial No. 379,363.

This invention relates generally to methods .of and apparatus for obtaining mold charges of molten glass'andmore particularly to the gathering of successive charges or gathers from the surface of a pool of molten glass by means of a suction gathering receptacle which is periodically moved into gathering relation to the surface of the glass at a gathering station and, after a charge or gather has been drawn into the receptacle, is raised to permit severance of the glass in the receptacle from the glass of the pool and is then removed from a posit-ion over the pool.

Such gathering receptacle may, be provided for transferring the charge or gather to the lirst shaping mold of a glassware shaping machine, either with or Without a cer tain amount of preliminary shaping of the charge, or it may be a mold of the shaping machine.

As the suction gathering receptacle is at a considerably lower temperature than the molten glass from which it derives its charge, the surface of the glass is chilled each time the gathering receptacle makes contact therewith. Further chilling is also produced by such shearing means as are employed to sever the mold charge from the body of the glass iu the pool. The surface of the glass at the gathering station also may be chilled somewhat because of its proximity to the opening which is needed for the entrance of the gathering means. These chilled portions of glass would ordinarily be gathered up by the gathering means in gathering subsequent charges, causing defects or blemishes in the charges and in the ware made therefrom. The chilled glass would interfere with subsequent gathering operations if permitted to accumulate at the gathering station.

An object of this invention is to practically obviate the undesirable features outlined above by causing such circulation or movement of glass of the gathering pool as will prevent the accumulation of chilled glass at the gathering station and will present a fresh supply `of hot glass of substantially,

imifmm temperature and condition at the Divided and this application filed July 19,

gathering station for each gathering operac tion.

A further object of the invention is to restore uniformity of temperature and condition of the surface of the glass at the gathering station after each gathering operation bymoving the chilled glass away from such surface and into the relatively hot glass of the body of the pool and at the same time moving relatively hot uniformly mixed and homogeneous glass from the body of the pool to the surface of the glass at the gathering station.

Devices for stirring the glassof a gathering pool have been suggested prior to this application, but such prior devicesof which I am aware are diiferent in important features of construction and operation from a practical embodi tion, and lack many of the beneficial features of the present invention. In some of the prior devices, the stirring means passes intermittently through the surface of the glass where the gathering is done, and in itself introduces some of the surface imperfections which it is desired to eliminate. In other prior devices, in order to avoid such defects, thestirring means is located so far from the gathering spot that it loses much of its effectiveness as a stirring device.

The manner in which such difficulties are obviated will be more clearly understood by ment of the present invenreference to the accompanying drawings, 1nk y which:

Figure 1 is a plan vview of the forehearth of a glass melting furnace equipped with a stirring device embodying structural features of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation ltaken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of the invention showing a suction gathering cup in operation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

- Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show different cross sectional configurations which may be given to the stirrer of either of the above indicated embodiments .of the invention, the views beopening 12 with a forehearth 13. The glass Iin the forehearth is indicated at 14 and a suitable gate 15 closes the opening above the level of the lass between the tank w11 and the foreheart 13 and depends inthe glass far enough to prevent the passage of gases between-the furnace and the forehearth. Adjustable burners, as 16, may be provided for reheating the lass in the forehearth and the waste gases through a stack 17 controlled by a damper, not shown. Substantially vertical. side Walls 18 and an end wall 18a serve to confine the glassfrom the furnace and cooperate with a top 19 to limit the escape ofheat from the forehearth so that' the glass therein is maintained at a desirable temperature.

An aperture 20 is provided in one of the Walls, preferably one of the vertical walls of the forehearth, to permit the passage therethrough of a suction gathering cup or implement 21. A stirrer or circulator has its shaft 22 journaled in bearings 23, and is driven by suitable means such as, the sprocket Wheel 24. This rotating member has a stem which passes through an aperture 25 in a side wall of the forehearth above the level of the lass and is inclined to the surface of the g ass so that he lower portion or head of the rotating member lies under the surface of the glass. That portion of the rotating member which lies Within the forehearth consists of or is inclosed in refractory material 26, and the end portion of this member preferably is an enlarged head 27 of frusto-conical form completely submerged in the glass at a gathering station in the forehearth. The upper surface of the frustoconical head may be substantially tangent to a horizontal plane and may be parallel to the surface of the glass and relatively close thereto without the `head being directly in contact with the surface of the glass at the gathering station. It Will be seen from the drawings that the head 27 lies under the spot at which the gathers are taken and that the rotation of the stirred will tend to rotate the glass around the submerged portion of said stirrer. particularly around the head 27 which at its free end has a relatively large diameter and a relatively great linear velocity, and that such rotation will tend to draw the chilled glass from the surface above the stirrer down into the hotter glass below the surface s0 that the chilled glass will be reheated `to the same temperature and will have the same viscosity and condition as the remainder of the glass in the forehearth. At the same time, homogeneous glass of uniform viscosity, temperature and condition will be moved or drawn from below to the surface of the glass at the gathering sta rom the forehearth pass outv tion, thus preventing the accumulation of chilled glass and constantly providing a sup- -cal Walls thereof and the tendency for heat to be lost through such openings therefore is `much less than would be the case Were the openings provided in the top of the forehearth. Also, the stem of the stirred prac-1 tically prevents escape of heated gases through the Aopening 25.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the stirrer extending through an opening 25a in a side wall of the forehearth at an angle nearer t0 the vertical than in the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the enlarged head or frusto-conical portionhas its surface 27a made to extend at a greater angle to the axis of the stirrer so that the upper portion of the head is tangent to a horizontal plane parallel to the surface of the glass.

The enlarged head of the improved stirrer or circulator may have a simple circular` cross-section as shown for the head 27 in Fig. 5. In order yto secure a greater depth of glass'at the gathering station for easy flow into the gathering receptacle during the suction operation and yet have the effect of the stirrer or circulator sufficiently strong at the surface to obtain the hereinbefore recited beneficial results, the enlarged head of thc stirrer of either of the hereinbefore described forms of the device may be made non-circular in cross-section. For example, depressions 28 may be provided in the head. indicated at 29, (Fig. 6), or the head may bc square in cross-section, as indicated at Si() in Fig. 7, or it may be polygonal. In this way gathering may be done with the head in such a position as to give a maximum depth ot' glass for a gathering operation at the gather'- ing station and the head may be then rotated after such gathering operation and stopped in a proper position for the next ,frmhering operation. It will be seen that the modifications of Figs. 6 and 7 may be considered as having alternate projections for stirring the glass close to the surface and depressions for permitting a maximum depth of glI at the gathering station for the suctiongathering operation.

The Speed and manner of rotation of the circulator or stirrer may be varied to secure various effects. For instance, the stirrer may be rotated intermittently in tin. d relation to the gathering operations. The speed of rotation of the stirrer maybe varied Without stopping this rotation, or the stirier may be kept rotating continually. It is pos ihlc away from the gathering spot in order not t with the improved stirrer to set up a continuous movement of the glass sur-face at the gathering point so that the surface is constantly being replenished. By more rapid rotation, the glass near the surface may be drawn down to a greater depth so that a greater mixing action may be set up. This tends to make the glass more homogeneous.

In many of the prior devices for stirring molten glass, the device has been located well interfere with the operation of the gatherer itself. But by, placing the stirrer under the surface, it is possible to bring it relatively close to the spot where the gathering is done. Also certain prior devices pass through the surface of the glass in an intermittent manner, sometimes through the surface of the glass at the gathering station.y There is a tendency in such devices for the stirrer itself to cause irregularities at the surface ofthe glass, but in the present device, there is no dipping into or out 'of the surface and there is no contact with the surface at all, except at a distance from the gathering spot.

The stirrer of this invention may be used with various forms of gatherers or suction receptacles or molds, and the opening for the introduction of the gatherer may be' varied according to different conditions of service. It is also obvious that various forms of severing means may be used as may be most suitable for use with the particular type of gatherer employed.

It will be understood that the above embodiments of the invention are for the purpose of illustration only and various modifications may be made therein without departing from the'spirit and scope of the'invention, as defined in the appended claims.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 272,956, filed April 26, 1928, which parent application contains claims generic to all of the forms of stirrer or circulator shown in the drawings, and specific to the forms shown in Figs. 1 tol 5 inclusive, while the present application contains claims limited to the forms shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or in Fig. 6 only. j

An'adaptation lof the invention shown in this case and in its parent case, is shown and claimed in combination with cooperative features in the copending joint application ofk the present applicant and William T.

Barker, Jr., filed Sept. 9, 1927, SerialNo.l 218,398, of which application the present application and its parent application Serial No. 272,956 are continuations in part.

1 claim 1. A stirrer for molten glass, comprising a rotating stem passing through the surface of the glass and inclined thereto, said stem having an enlarged head at the lower end thereof immersed in the glass, said head having alternate projections and recesses.

end thereof immersed in the glass, said head i having alternate projections and recesses.

4. Apparatus for supplying molten glass comprising, a container for holding a pool of glass, a melting tank for supplying glass to said container, and a glass circulating device for said pool or glass comprising a rotatable implement extending obliquely into said pool, said implement having a portion of non-circular cross section immersed in said pool.

5. The combination of a container for holding a pool of molten glass, a melting tank for supplying glass to said container, means for gathering charges of glass from a gathering zone in said pool, and an'impeller located beneath the surface of the. glass in said pool and below said gathering zone, said impeller being of non-circular shape in crosssection.

6. The combination of a container for holding a pool of molten glass, a melting tank for.

supplying glass to said container, means for gathering charges of lass from a gathering Y' zone in said pool, an a stirrer for circulating the glass in said pool beneath the gathering zone comprising a stem having an enl ing zone in said pool, and a stirrer for circulating the glass in said pool beneath the gathering zone comprising a stem having an enlarged head, means for supporting said stirrer in an inclined position with respect to the surface of said pool, the head of said impeller being located beneath the surface` of the glass,

and said head having a plurality of projections formed thereon.

8. The combin ation of a container for holding a pool o f molten glass, a melting tank for supplying glass to said container, means for gathering charges of glass from a gathering zone in said pool, a stirrer for circulating the glass in said pool comprising a stem having an enlarged head, means for supporting said stirrer in an inclined posltion with respect to the surface of said pool, the head of said stirrer being located beneath the surface of the glass, said head being of non-circular shape in cross section, andmeans for rotating the said stirrer Wherebychilled portions of glass produced by the operation of the gathering means are removed from the gathering zone.

9. Apparatus for supplying molten glass comprising a container for holding a pool of glass, a melting tank for supplying glass to said container, the glass su plied to said container owing therethroughJ toward a gathering zone, means for successively gathering charges of glass from the'surface of the pool, and a stirrer for circulating the glass in said pool comprising a stem having an enlarged head formed thereon, said head being of noncircular shape in cross section, means for supporting said stirrer in an inclined position With respect to the surface of the pool, the head of said stirrer being located beneath the surface of said pool and below the gathering zone, and means for rotating the said stirrer whereby chilled portions of glass produced by the operation of the gathering means are removedV from the gathering zone and commingled with the incoming supply of glass.

10. A glass circulating device comprlsing, a rigid rotatable implement, said implement having an enlarged head, the surface of which is corrugated, means for holding said implement in adhesive contact with a body of molten glass, the head of said implement being held beneath the surface of the glass, and

. means for rotating said implement.

11. A glass circulating device comprising, a rigid rotatable implement, said implement having an enlarged head, the surface oiwhich head is polygonal, means for holding said implement in adhesive contact with a supply body of molten glass, the head of said implement being held below the `surface of the glass, and means for rotating said implement.

Signed at Hartford, Conn., this 16th day of July, 1929.

l KARL E. PEILER. 

